Black lives matter in the Marvel Universe

Mike Colter debuts as the first African American Superhero to get his own stand-alone series. Photo via web

By: Anthony Romualdo

For the first time in Marvel history we get to see an African-American superhero take the screen in a stand alone series, Luke Cage, now streaming on Netflix.

Luke Cage gives it’s viewer two sides of the coin as it takes us through the harsh, crime-riddled streets of Harlem. The plot is a quest of a man on a mission to put an end to the violence-a man who calls himself Luke Cage. The story begins with Luke Cage, who works in an old school barbershop with a friend and mentor known in the community as Pop. It is clear in the beginning that Luke, also known by his real name Carl Lucas, is a straight-edged conservative type that does not give in to the stereotypical expectations of a ghetto youth by speaking slang, swearing or using derogatory terms like the “N-word”. In fact, he absolutely despises it when a young brother of color stoops low enough to use such a term, especially in a City like Harlem–rich in African American civil rights movements.

Cage however, is no stranger to a prison cell. In fac,t he takes part in an underground fight club that is taking place at the prison during his sentence. This comes as a surprise to viewers as he does not come off as a person who has seen the inside of a jail cell. The twist comes when we find out that Cage was actually wrongfully convicted. During his sentence he becomes a target of a prison guard, Albert Rackham, that makes his money by using Cage as his fight dog. When Cage threatens to expose the fight club going on in the prison, Rackham has Cage severely beaten. A doctor that is working on a regenerative formula in the prison attempts to save Cage’s life. As Doctor Noah Burstein is experimenting on Cage, Rackham attempts to interfere, causing the experiment to go haywire. The result gives Cage incredible strength and nearly unbreakable skin.

Through this process Luke Cage reveals himself as a superhuman, and the people of Harlem turn to him as he leads the people of the city to rise to the top over the drug lords running the city.

Mike Colter, the actor who plays Luke Cage, does a phenomenal job of portraying a person you probably do not want to mess with, but he also maintains a level headed understanding and use of his powers. Although other superheros of color have made their debut on the big screen, such as Black Panther, Falcon, and even Will Smith’s Hancock, this is the first time an African-American hero gets a stand-alone series.

Following the comic book origins of Luke Cage, he maybe even join the Avengers in future films.